naranjilla [key], large tropical subshrub (Solanum quitoense) of the family Solanaceae (nightshade family), native to the Andes. Tomatolike fruits, orange-colored and leathery-skinned, grow along the large main stalk, sometimes 10 ft (21.3 m) high. Their juicy, flavorful, slightly acid pulp is much used locally for beverages and sherbets. The naranjillo, or lulo, became known to North Americans as a beverage at the 1939 New York World's Fair. Naranjillo is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Solanales, family Solanaceae.
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